BEAN BOWLS WITH POACHED EGGS

I used to journal all the time. It helped me process. Especially in high school when boyfriend problems were a huge deal, you fought constantly with your mother, and who gets to ask who to the winter formal dance was high drama. A girl's got to get through those hard times. Journaling made thoughts and feelings seem legitimate once they were down on paper. Later, I started journaling in letter format, writing in a voice as though someone may read my words. This felt more natural, more "like me." I love letters. I stopped about a year after college. I know this only because my last journal is in the back of my car. I keep wanting to throw it away because it makes me feel awkward when I flip through and read old stuff, but that awkward feeling may turn to endearment one day. Which is why it lingers somewhere between a box of keepsakes in the garage and the trash... my car.

Writing here has taken the place of the writing I used to do for me. At least for the time being. I think I always wanted someone to read what I was thinking, even if it wasn't fully fleshed out, emotional stuff, just the casual chatter. We've been journaling on Sprouted Kitchen, by way of recipes, photos and stories for almost four years, and much like personal journals, I don't really go back and look at older stuff. I know I will at some point years from now, so I try to weave our real life into this space as to have memories within the collection of recipes. Our first book was nominated for a James Beard award a few weeks ago, and I want to mark here how honored I have felt because of that (hey, future self reading this, this was/is a big deal!). I have wrestled with myself about food writing being "my career" and the timing of this nomination marked the first time in a while that I felt I didn't have to defend my work to myself. Writing a blog and book and working at a market and teaching classes and infrequent catering is a long answer when someone asks "what do you do?" Long answers aren't such a bad thing. It would have felt wonderful at any time, but there was something really special about it coming during this season for me. I'm humbled and grateful, and I do a happy dance when I think about it. I know this nomination is a high honor, and I won't forget it. 

This is a simple, modest bowl of a meal. Made of very affordable ingredients, delicately spiced, and pretty easy to tweak to your tastes. Clearly I am still clearing out my pantry. It is not the most creative recipe that's come out of my kitchen, but sometimes it's the less fussy stuff that is quietly satisfying. Leftovers nest well in a burrito with melty cheese. A comfy, warm meal before we roll into a season of salads and fresh fruits and tender asparagus. 

P.S. I forgot to mention last post that Hugh is planning on doing a few portrait sessions while we're away. He says he has to work to keep his croissant budget in check. If you happen to be in Paris, Antwerp or Amsterdam, he mentions the dates on his site.

BEAN BOWLS WITH POACHED EGG // Serves 4

The texture comes out like a stew and you want some of the liquid to be in the pot. Once you break the yolk from the egg, it makes a sauce with the bean broth. Add more broth to the pot if needed, it absorbs moisture as it cools, and adjust the spices to your liking.

I cooked my beans from scratch and drained off the excess liquid before adding the broth from there. They don't need to be completely drained by any means, but I wanted my broth flavor to not taste too strongly of bean. I'd guess you could use canned beans in a pinch, the texture will just be a bit less substantial.

• 1/2 lb. dried black beans (rinsed and soaked overnight)
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp. chile powder
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced in 1'' cubes
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste
• 4-8 eggs (use 1-2 eggs per person)
• cilantro and hot sauce to finish
• cotija, queso fresco or goat cheese optional

Drain and rinse the beans from soaking. Place them in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the beans are cooked through and just tender (one to one and a half hours depending on freshness of beans), avoid overcooking. They should still have a tooth to them. Remove from heat, add a pinch of salt. Let the beans cool for about ten minutes before draining. Add the cumin, cinnamon, garlic, chile powder, hearty pinch of salt and broth. Bring the mixture to a low simmer.

Add the sweet potato to the warm beans, give it a stir and cover the pot. Cook for about 8-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the tomato paste and olive oil and taste for salt, you'll likely need another pinch or two, and spices. You could add heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes or chipotle. Cover and keep warm until ready.

Bring a large pot of salted water with a splash of vinegar to a low boil. Poach the eggs to desired doneness (two eggs at a time is what I can manage. I deliver the eggs to the water in a ramekin, seems to help them stay together well).  For a medium poach, simmer them 2-3 minutes. If you like the yolk more firm, take them 4-5 minutes. Serve each portion with a hearty scoop of the beans and poached egg on top. Finish with hot sauce, cilantro and cheese if using. 

MUSHROOM, MILLET + LEEK FRITTATAS

It can be tested and approved that a solid majority of our friends are either getting married or having a baby this year. I remember thinking last year that 2013 was going to be quiet on the celebratory front, but it has proven otherwise. Once we get back from our trip in April, every weekend seems to be booked with an event. Which reminds me, I need to keep my eyes peeled for dresses. It is impossible to find a dress when you really need one. It's true. In all the talk of showers, my brain starts piecing menus together. I made frittatas for a brunch shower last month. They are so perfect for feeding a group. They're inexpensive, easy to make, go well with baked goods, maybe a simple salad, fruit and mimosas. Am I selling you my shower menu? Something tells me you are familiar with the goodness that is eggs.

After yet another handful of trail mix yesterday, I huffed that I was bored of my routine foods. I go in phases, tending to burn out on something I really loved at one point. It's nice to have something at the ready for snacks or a quick meal to-go when needed. I find the lentil meatballs are good for this. I don't think I have used millet here yet, but now is as good a time as any to bring it in. It is part of one of my favorite salads from the cookbook. It is gluten free, seeing as it is actually a seed, has protein, B vitamins, fiber and is highly alkaline. You can use it anywhere you would use rice or quinoa as it takes on any flavor you'd like, much like those two will.I cook millet with a simple 2:1 ratio. It cooks quickly by bringing the rinsed grain and liquid to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff, cover again and let it absorb the steam for optimum puffy texture. All said and done, the millet takes around 15 minutes. So glad to have these ready for early work days or pre-morning workout when I am easily persuaded to stay home and cook breakfast instead... which will very likely still happen.

MUSHROOM, MILLET + LEEK FRITTATAS // Makes 12

I add a bit of grain (seed) here to make them a more filling grab-n-go breakfast or snack. You could use quinoa or even rice as a substitute.

I am a big fan of sheeps feta, the conventional stuff is usually made of cows milk and doesn't hold a candle to the real thing. Yes it's a bit more expensive but a little goes a long way. Trader Joes has an excellent one from Israel in a green/yellow package.

Lastly, I'm not sure I would suggest using muffin liners, but let me know if you try. I find that with items this wet, you loose half the food getting stuck to the paper.

• 9 eggs
• 2/3 cup cooked and cooled millet
• 1/4 cup cream or milk (coconut milk would work too)
• 1 tsp. sea salt, divided
• 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 8 oz. mushrooms, stems removed, roughly chopped
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 2 leeks, cleaned, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp. chopped chives, parlsey, thyme or mix of these (plus more for topping)
• 8 oz. sheeps feta

Preheat the oven to 350'. Grease a standard muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper and red pepper flakes until well blended. Set aside.

In a pan, preferably non stick, over medium heat, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Yes, dry pan. You saute them around until they sweat off their excess water. They will release water, dry back up and THEN add 1 tsp. oil and saute another minute. Remove and set aside. Heat another tsp. olive oil in the same pan, saute the leeks with another pinch of salt for 8-10 minutes until just browned. Add the leeks to the bowl of mushrooms, add the herbs and cooked millet and stir to combine. Once the veggie mix is relatively cool, add it to the egg mixture.

Fill the muffin tins a generous 3/4 of the way full, the mixture should last you all dozen tins depending on the size of your eggs. Top each with some crumbled feta and bake on the middle rack for 18-20 minutes. The center should be slightly underdone and will finish cooking as they rest. Garnish with any remaining chopped herbs. Allow them to cool for at least ten minutes before gently twisting them from the tins. Serve with your favorite hot sauce.

MULTIGRAIN WAFFLES

The amount of time it took me to purchase a $25 waffle iron makes complete sense in the scope of my personality. I get anxious about making good decisions and wise choices. I try not to waste or have things I don't need or use. If you allow them too, and I regret that I do, little decisions can become big ones getting you caught in the rip current of yes or no, pros and cons, risk vs. gain. I find myself in that current by default - like part of my hard wiring. I swim straight into worry when I could so easily swim around it in the calm, lapping water on the periphery of this angst. Life just happens and mistakes are made. The worry doesn't protect from those truths, it just makes them a bigger deal than they need to be. Ah, yea, I'm not just referring to waffle iron purchases anymore.

So. By way of investing in quality kitchen equipment, I don't expect this iron will last a lifetime. I wasn't sure if we would go in and out of a waffle phase, so I didn't want to buy a super nice one. Do the $200 irons make a significantly superior waffle to the $25 one? I am quite happy with my dinky little guy and don't plan to know the alternative high-end waffle. I've been playing around with flours, butter vs. oil, toppings etc. What I have below is our "everyday" waffle. It's a mixture of a few different flours, nuts and oats to keep them hearty and fiber filled - something not so indulgent that it has to be saved for a Sunday morning. The coconut oil helps them to get a crispy exterior while everything stays moist inside. Breakfast is kind of "a thing" around here, so I suspect there will be variations in my future, but I found this recipe worth sharing from the waffle experiments thus far.

FLAX WAFFLES // Makes 4 seven inch waffles

Inspired by The Fauxmartha and Oh, Ladycakes

Hugh requests chocolate chips in all possible breakfast sweets. It's a tight ship over here. I'll make the mixture, make two without chips then add 1/4 cup chocolate chips to the remaining batter and finish cooking the rest. I wrap up the extra waffles, keep them in the fridge and toast them in the toaster oven the following morning to warm and crisp them back up.

If you don't have these flours on hand, a 1 1/2 cup total of your preferred flours, or GF All Purpose flour will work fine here too. Your milk to flour ratio should be more or less equal regardless of what you use. Almond and oat flours aren't as absorbent as a wheat flour, so my dry ratio is slightly higher here.

• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup milk (great with buttermilk or non dairy beverage of choice)
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. flaxmeal
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 Tbsp. muscavado or brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Heat your waffle iron.

Whisk the egg, milk (or non dairy beverage), orange juice, vanilla together. Whisk in the melted coconut oil.

Add the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well, pressing out any clumps. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir until just combined. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes for the flaxmeal to absorb some liquid. Add enough batter to fill your waffle iron, don't over stuff it. Remove cooked waffle* and enjoy warm.Don't stack them, they'll steam each other. You can keep waffles warm on a cookie sheet in a 200' oven if waiting for remaining waffles.

Top with real maple syrup, fruit, whipped cream, jam, nut butter or my consistent stand by, goat yogurt and pom seeds. 

* Some irons have timers or a light that turns off to tell you the waffle is done. I have been judging mine by waiting until the iron stops steaming, then I know the outside will be crisp. By using about 3/4 cup batter, the waffle takes roughly 4 minutes until it stops steaming. This will vary by iron.